Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean is offering a potential discount on cruise add-ons, such as drink packages, shore excursions and more, with its new sale.

The "Rise to the Vacation" sale runs between  January 14, 2022 - January 20, 2022 and is valid on sailings between : January 18, 2022 - December 31, 2022.

Here is what is included during the sale:

BEVERAGE: Up to 40% off

• Classic Soda Beverage Package: 30% off onboard prices.
• Classic Soda Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Over 35% off onboard prices.
• Spring Water Cans: 40% off onboard prices.
• San Benedetto Water Cans: 40% off onboard prices.
• Evian Water Bottles: 40% off onboard prices.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: Discount varies by ship.
• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Over 35% off onboard prices.
• Refreshment Package: 30% off onboard prices

DINING: Up to 55% off

• Unlimited Dining Package on 3N – 9N sailings: Discount varies by ship.

INTERNET: Up to 50% off

• VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship. 

SHORE EXCURSIONS: Up to 25% off

• Shore Excursions: Discount varies by ship. 

ACTIVITIES: 20% off

• All Access Ship Tour (excl. Grandeur of the Seas)

PHOTO PACKAGES: Up to 70% off

• Photo Packages: From 5 - 100 Print and/or Digital Options: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: Private Photo Session: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: Picture This Private Studio: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: All Digital: Discount varies by ship.

Gifts & Gear: Up to 20% Off

• Anniversary Decorations with Champagne
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Chocolate Cake & Strawberries
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Vanilla Cake & Strawberries
• Inky Beach Set
• Inky Beach Towel (TicTacToe)
• Inky Travel Set
• Red Wine and Cheese
• Royal Caribbean Beach Towel
• Strawberries with Champagne
• White Wine and Cheese

To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site look for any available offers. Keep in mind that not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.

If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.

More helpful information

• Should you buy pre-cruise purchases now or wait to buy it onboard?
• 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• How much should I budget for a cruise?

Today is the last day of my cruise on Independence of the Seas and I cannot think of a better way to end my sailing than to spend the day at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Since the weather this week had not been ideal, I woke up this morning expecting cloudy skies, cold, and rain. However, when I walked out to the pool deck, sunshine appeared from behind the clouds! I immediately went back to my stateroom to grab my belongings and I disembarked the ship.

Independence of the Seas was docked next to Freedom of the Seas this morning.

The previous and only two times I have been to CocoCay, I spent the day at the Coco Beach Club. This time, however, I did not reserve anything and was excited to spend the day exploring other parts of the island.

First up was a brief walk to South Beach. South Beach was closed this summer, so today was my first time there. While it is “further” than other beaches on the island, it only took around ten minutes to walk there from the ship. You can also opt to take the free tram rides available on the island.

South Beach is to the east of the Coco Beach Club and offers a more relaxed environment to guests. There is a long stretch of beach, cabanas for rent, two bars, a Snack Shack, and sports area. While I just walked around briefly, I would definitely come back here to spend the day in the future.

Next up was Oasis Lagoon. Something I think is very helpful at CocoCay are the free lockers available throughout the island. As I am always carrying my camera equipment around, it is nice to have a secure place to store it while I go for a swim.

Lunch today was at Chill Grill. Before today, the only food I had tried on the island came from the Mediterranean-style restaurant at the Coco Beach Club. I was spoiled by endless hummus, pita, grouper, and chocolate-caramel brownies. Because of this, I wasn’t sure what to expect for CocoCay’s complimentary food options.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of food offered at Chill Grill. From salads to build-your-own tacos and standard American fare, there were more than enough options available.

By far the best part of my lunch, though, was my brownie sundae. A great food “hack” at Perfect Day at CocoCay is to take a brownie or cookie from the buffet and top it with ice cream. You can thank me later!

My next stop was Chill Beach. I think this may be my favorite beach on the island because it is, as the name implies, a chill place to spend the day. I went for a swim and the ocean temperature was not as warm as it had been in the summer, but was still comfortable.

The sunshine was very well welcomed after the past few days of clouds, and I had a really hard time getting out of my hammock to walk back to the ship. On my way back, though, I ran into a few cute and colorful iguanas!

For sailaway I headed to the Helipad. Even though the Helipad is one of my favorite places onboard, I had never watched sailaway from there. Tonight’s sailaway was during sunset and it was gorgeous! We had views of Freedom, Symphony, and Vision of the Seas as well.

Dinner tonight was in the Windjammer. The food quality in the Windjammer on Independence has been impressive. Tonight they had the most elaborate and beautiful spread of cakes and pies that I’ve ever seen!

I ended my cruise by walking a few laps on the Promenade Deck and it was a nice way to exercise while taking in the sea breeze. It also gave me time to reflect on the past four days.

Overall, I had a fantastic time this week on Independence of the Seas. I was a little nervous before the cruise due to recent Covid concerns and the fact that it was my first solo cruise. However, everyone followed protocols really well while onboard and I met so many kind crew members and passengers throughout this sailing.

I’m sad to disembark tomorrow, but on the bright side… I board Harmony of the Seas this Sunday!

Stray Observations:

Oasis Lagoon turned into a party scene today and was LOUD. While it was entertaining to people watch and listen to music, it is not the most relaxing environment compared to the quieter beaches on the island! This is something to consider if you are choosing between a cabana at the pool or at another location at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

With the sound of intense wind and nothing but darkness beyond the ship, the Helipad is kind of spooky at night! There were some nice views of the stars, though.

In a press conference today, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, Chairman of the Council for Norwegian Cruise Line’s SailSafe program, & Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings President and CEO Frank Del Rio, provided an update and answered questions from travel agents relating to Omicron and the future of cruising.

This briefing comes just days before the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) expires on January 15. With this new phase, cruise lines will move from mandatory to voluntary protocols.

Noting the success of the cruise lines, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky expressed her approval of cruise ship performance under the CSO, saying "the industry has stepped up".

In a decidedly optimistic tone, Dr. Gottlieb, who is also co-chair of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line’s joint Healthy Sail Panel, discussed a number of cruising topics especially as it relates to the spring and summer season. Here are some of the key points from the discussion.

Why is the cruise industry being singled out?

An important part of the discussion today related to why the cruise industry is being held to a higher standard than other recreational activities such as theme parks, hotels or airlines.  

Dr. Gottlieb noted that cruising, unlike many other leisure activities, has testing, protocols and vaccinations requirements. It is a tightly controlled environment. When you go to a hotel or restaurant, there is no way to measure risk.

The cruise industry is the only one that has rigorous testing and reporting for Covid. Consequently, the media and some politicians grab hold of this, sensationalizing the issue. The companies’ commitment to health and safety has paradoxically provided the data and information to create fear in some cruisers' minds.

When will Omicron Peak?

Dr. Gottlieb expressed his opinion that Omicron is currently peaking, especially on the East coast and more specifically, in some areas like New York, which may already be starting their decline.

There are some regions of the country, such as the Midwest and Southwest that are a little farther behind in terms of their curve and will peak in another 2-3 weeks.

This latest wave was very quick to spread and should have a similarly rapid pace in decline, which would be good news for consumer confidence and the cruise industry.

Omicron’s Decline and Other Variants

“Pandemics don’t last forever” Dr. Gottlieb noted. And, while it is hard to predict the future, he said that the broad consensus among experts is that this is the last major wave of infection.

With a combination of immunity from previous infections, effective vaccines, boosters, added to a growing number of therapeutics being produced, the future looks much better.  Additionally, scientists are working on variant specific boosters that will help to restore protection against infection and transmission.  

Looking to spring, Dr. Gottlieb feels like the numbers will decline significantly. And at this point, if we see another variant, it should not be serious like Omicron.

What will Covid will look like in the future?

As we look further out, Coronavirus will become endemic, perhaps by fall, and will begin to act more like the seasonal flu showing up in late winter. In fact, it should be less virulent than the flu, as it will mutate less.

Continued improvements in medicines and greater immunity will mean that the virus will have less of an impact over the long term.

Foretelling the end, Dr. Gottlieb says it won’t end in a “giant bang, but rather a whimper”.

It is safe to travel this summer?

As part of the discussion, Mr. Del Rio inquired about cruising this summer to Alaska and Europe, adding that travel agents have been getting a lot of inquiries about these destinations. Dr. Gottlieb is confident about cruising this summer, and he is planning a cruise, along with his young children.

In terms of sailings, a yes to Europe, especially Western Europe as they have been following a similar pattern to the United States in this last wave. The numbers should be much lower by summer, as should be the case in Alaska.

There are a few areas of concern though. He is more cautious as it relates to regions with less immunity, either through lower spread or less effective vaccines. He cited possible concerns with developing nations who have not had the same access to vaccines, as well as  China, which has had far less infection outside of the area of Wuhan.

Once again, Royal Caribbean is giving its customers more time to take advantage of its flexible cancellation program.

Cruise with Confidence has been extended again for bookings made through March 31, 2022 on sailings departing on or before September 30, 2022.

What this means is you can cancel a booked Royal Caribbean cruise for any reason for a 100% future cruise credit.

In an email travel agents, Royal Caribbean explains the Omicron variant impact to its business, "With the rise of the Omicron variant, we have strengthened some of our health protocols to ensure that we mitigate the spread of COVID-19 onboard. We are confident in our approach as Royal Caribbean Group has carried 1.1 million guests since the restart of cruising from the US in June of 2021. We remain in constant communication with various government health authorities and will continue to work collaboratively with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."

"At the end of the day, we want to ensure that planning your clients' vacations is as worry-free as possible. Therefore, we've made the decision to extend our popular Cruise with Confidence program to reservations confirmed on or before March 31, 2022 on sailings departing through September 30, 2022."

Prior to this extension, the Cruise with Confidence program was set to expire on January 31, 2022.

When a guest cancels their cruise past the final payment date, they can get a future cruise credit worth 100% of the cruise fare paid as long as they cancel at least 48 hours before the sail date.

It was originally introduced right before cruises began shutting down due to Covid-19 as a mechanism to give guests piece of mind they could change their plans after the final payment date.

Without the Cruise with Confidence program, there would be a penalty if you cancelled a cruise after the final payment date.

Included with the ability to cancel a cruise under Cruise with Confidence is the Best Price Guarantee, which allows guests to reprice their sailing up to 48-hours prior to the sail date if the price drops.

If you have a cruise booked already, then you qualify automatically for Cruise with Confidence. Going forward, you have until at least March 31, 2022 to qualify for Cruise with Confidence.

Do all sailings qualify for Cruise with Confidence?

Cruise with Confidence is applicable to all sailings.

It is not available to guests booked on chartered sailings or residents of mainland China.

You simply need to book a cruise before March 31, 2022. Existing bookings automatically qualify for Cruise with Confidence.

Why are they extending Cruise with Confidence?

The reason Royal Caribbean has extended this flexible cancellation program again is to give consumers more time to change their mind if they are worried about going on a cruise during the pandemic.

Traditionally, the final payment date would be the point in time when you would have to cancel without incurring a penalty fee.

At the onset of Covid-19, people were uncertain what to expect and cancelled their bookings early out of concern they could not predict if they would want to sail or not.

As a result, Cruise with Confidence was introduced so that anyone who has a cruise booked could wait longer to make a decision if they want to sail or not.

I spent today exploring Nassau, our first port of call. My first port day in Nassau last August was a bit of a mess due to lack of planning and rain, so I felt more prepared today.

Prior to my cruise, I purchased a day pass to the Warwick Paradise Island from Resortforaday.com. Resort For A Day allows you to purchase day passes to hotels and resorts in popular Caribbean, Mexican, and American destinations.

The Warwick is an all-inclusive, adults-only hotel located on the harbor side of Paradise Island. A full, in-depth review of my experience there will be published next week, but here is a brief overview:

I got off the ship around 10AM and grabbed a taxi to Paradise Island. The taxi ride to the Warwick was around 10 minutes long and I paid $12. Once I checked in as a day pass guest, I began to explore the resort.

The first thing you will notice at the Warwick is the huge pool area. There is one large pool, a small hot tub, and ample seating areas throughout the property.

As the Warwick is located in the harbor, it does not have open ocean views like you would get on the other side of the island. It does have a small beach, though, as well as hammocks and a volleyball net on the sand.

Unfortunately, today's weather in Nassau was less than ideal. The wind was intense and with temperatures of around 70 degrees, I was pretty cold. Unsurprisingly, the pool remained empty throughout the day!

One benefit of the Warwick is that it is all-inclusive, so there was no need to worry about choosing food or drink options under a certain amount of money.

There are two lunch options at the resort: the food near the pool and the buffet located inside. However, the buffet was closed for lunch today, so I went to lunch at the pool and ordered quinoa salad and conch fritters. The food was quite good and I liked how they had options to fit many different diets.

After lunchtime, I grabbed a piña colada and swung in a hammock on the beach for a few minutes before the rain came back. Shivering in the hammock as raindrops fell on me, I concluded that while the resort was really nice, today was simply not a beach day. 

I took a taxi back to downtown Nassau. Last time I was in Nassau was in August and it was way too hot to comfortably walk around the city. So even though today was not the best day to go to the beach, it was a perfect day to walk around Nassau.

First up was a trip to see the Queen's Staircase and Fort Fincastle. This historical staircase is located in the fort's complex in Nassau and consists of 66 steps in a lush walkway. The stairs lead directly to the Fort, which is the highest point in Nassau. There were local guides available at the fort and staircase. While I walked there myself, Royal Caribbean offers shore excursions that visit these two places if you would prefer to be on an organized tour.

I also grabbed a coconut from two friendly Bahamians on the side of the road near the top of the Queen's Staircase. One of my favorite parts of traveling is chatting with locals to get to know them and their culture, so we chatted for a few minutes before I continued on with my walk.

If you have never tried fresh coconut water or are dehydrated from walking around Nassau in the summer, be sure to grab a coconut from these guys!

Overall, I much preferred exploring the staircase and fort to walking around the touristy streets right outside the cruise port. I headed back to the ship in the late afternoon.

Dinner tonight was at Izumi Hibachi. This is one of my favorite things to do while on a cruise because of the energy it brings to a dining experience. I also love how it brings the whole table of passengers together. It is much more social than dining at separate tables!

Today our hibachi chef was funny, upbeat, and had excellent talent at building a "volcano" out of onions. Yes, an onion volcano. Whenever I order vegetable hibachi, I always get a different type of dish (I guess each chef has a different 'go to' for a vegetarian option). Today our chef cooked vegetable and tofu udon which definitely hit the spot.

Also, shout out to our waiter Dan for being a Royal Caribbean Blog fan!

After dinner I went to Studio B to watch Freeze Frame, the ice skating show on Independence of the Seas. The ice shows are my favorite type of performance to watch onboard. Due to an injury, though, the entertainment was altered.

Instead of the regular show, several cast members were brought to the ice and briefly interviewed about their background and skating experience by the Cruise Director. Following their "get to know you" session, the cast member skated for the audience. At the end of the show, five cast members performed together.

While it was not the normal show, I really enjoyed the revised production they performed tonight and it was fascinating to learn more about the cast.

I ended my day at Star Lounge for a Big Band jazz performance. It was a relaxing way to end a busy day in Nassau and onboard.

Tomorrow is the last day of our cruise and we will be at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Stray Observations:

Many cruise passengers stay on the ship while in Nassau, but I think New Providence Island has a lot to offer beyond jewelry shops and Atlantis. I am looking forward to finding more authentic experiences there for my next cruise. If anyone has any recommendations, please leave a comment below!

Izumi Hibachi/Teppanyaki is an excellent dining option for a solo cruiser. The tables seat eight people, so you will be seated with other passengers who also may not know each other. Tonight there were four different groups of people and we chatted the whole dinner!

Royal Caribbean Group's new CEO Jason Liberty talked on a webinar for the first time in his new role about a variety of topics, such as becoming CEO and the short-term impact Omicron variant is having on business.

Mr. Liberty took over for Richard Fain as CEO of Royal Caribbean Group on January 3, and he was invited to speak to travel agents during a Royal Caribbean International webinar.

Here are a few of the intriguing topics covered during his talk.

100 Day Goal

Mr. Liberty was asked what he wanted to do in his first 100 days as the CEO, and he is starting off by listening more

"Most of my time is going to be around learning and listening from others," he explained. "Spending time with our travel partners, I'm spending time with our customers and spending time with our employees, and I'm spending time with many of our partners ...to make sure that I have the kind of firm understanding of of what everybody is looking for."

He also said continuing the company's return to service is a priority, "we have about 80 percent of our fleet up and running, making sure that we continue to execute on that successfully is certainly a priority."

When will bounce back from Omicron

Mr. Liberty also asked about the effects of Omicron on the business, and his view on the rebound.

He indicated that the good news is people want to cruise, but consistency is the key, "[it's] really, really clear that there's really strong demand for cruise and I think people are just looking for consistency."

Mr. Liberty leaned in the direction of the second quarter for things to feel better overall, "I think to you as we get into Q2 and beyond, we're going to see a much more global state of things based off of where the experts believe the disease will be, as it relates to Covid, and us getting our fleet back up and running."

He later said he thinks the second quarter should look more like the first quarter was supposed to before Omicron, "as it relates to our expectations, when we look at kind of Q2 and beyond, it's very much in line with what we expected in Q1 because of some of the cancelled sailings impact."

No compromise on guest experience

Despite the challenges of Covid, Mr. Liberty was adamant about not allowing it to compromise what passengers can look forward to onboard its ships.

"I think it's very important to note that even through this entire journey, we have not, and we will not, compromise our guest experience."

"We have a strong long-term business. This is an exceptional business that does very well financially."

'This is a meteor that hit our industry'

Mr. Liberty used a few different metaphors to describe the hit cruise lines have taken during the last two years due to Covid-19.

"This is a meteor that hit our industry and we have survived that hit," he said later in the interview. The silver lining, as he describes, is that it demonstrates they can adjust and overcome challenges by working together.

"I think that that comes through the innovation and continuous improvement oriented mentality that we have."

"These are good businesses that have just had to deal with a black swan event."

Is he a "bean counter"?

Since being named Richard Fain's successor, some have pointed out the fact Mr. Liberty comes from a financial background as a negative to choosing him to lead the company.

In response to such questions, Mr. Liberty explained he is not what you may think, "I know sometimes there are things that come along with, 'Hey, he was a finance guy, he's a CFO guy', but you really should understand and appreciate... that's actually the opposite of how I am."

He pointed to the fact he was a major proponent of the company providing commissions and loans to travel agents during the pandemic, as an example of putting the collective industry ahead of the company's bottom line.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the manner for cruise lines to transition away from the Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) once it expires.

The CDC promised its CSO will move to a voluntary program when it expires on January 15, 2022.  When it does, cruise lines can continue being part of the program if they so choose.

As reported first by Seatrade Cruise News, by volunteering to be a part of the program, cruise lines will follow all the CDC recommendations and guidance, and cruise ships will continue to receive a color status from the CDC.

Cruise lines that do not opt-in will have their color status to gray on the CDC website, which means the agency has neither reviewed nor confirmed their health and safety protocols. These gray-color coded ships will be subject to other CDC orders and regulations to the same extent as other vessels subject to US jurisdiction.

The CDC is asking cruise lines to opt in by January 21, 2022.

Changes to the voluntary program

Under the voluntary program, the CDC is relaxing certain aspects of its monitoring.

The threshold for CDC investigation will go from 0.1% passenger cases or one or more crew cases to 0.3% of passengers and/or crew. The definition of yellow, orange, and red status will be updated to reflect the higher threshold.

The CDC will also eliminate the need to conduct test cruises (simulated voyages), along with the conditional sailing certificate application process.

Other changes the CDC has made include:

• Testing requirements will continue, and ships with at least 95% of fully vaccinated crew and passengers may continue to reduce or eliminate certain public health measures onboard, such as mask use and physical distancing.
• Self-service beverage stations will continue to be allowed regardless of onboard vaccination status
• Self-service food operations will begin to be allowed
• Negative air pressure for quarantine cabins will not be required — these cabins must still be in a separate HVAC zone.
• Isolation cabins must still have negative air pressure.
• Port agreements between US port and local health authorities will still be needed.
• CDC will continue to conduct routine unannounced inspections and announced outbreak investigations.

Seatrade reports the CDC will update their website on January 14 with the new program details.

Masks

The CDC will still require cruise ships to wear masks onboard ships, regardless of if the lines opt-into the voluntary program or not.

CDC Director: 'the industry has stepped up'

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told Congress yesterday she was pleased with what the cruise lines are doing under the CSO.

"I think the Conditional Sailing Order and the fact that the industry has stepped up and is now interested in doing and exceeding... the the compliance with the sail order without the order even necessarily needing to be in place, as is a real testimony to how well that has worked and how we've worked collaboratively with the industry."

Moreover, Dr. Walensky believes cruise lines will opt-into this voluntary program, "the cruise ship industries will continue to understand that this is a really safe practice for those industries."

Cruise industry reaction

Following the CDC's announcement, here is the official statement by the the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA):

Today’s announcement by the CDC regarding the planned transition of the Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) to a voluntary program recognizes the cruise industry’s unwavering commitment to providing some of the highest levels of COVID-19 mitigation found in any industry. Cruise is the only segment of travel and tourism that requires, prior to embarkation for both passengers and crew, exceedingly high levels of vaccination (approaching 100% compared to only 63% of the U.S. population) and 100% testing of every individual (21 times the rate of the U.S. on land).

When cases are identified as a result of the high-frequency of testing onboard, cruise ship protocols help to maximize onboard containment with rapid response procedures designed to safeguard all other guests and crew as well as the communities that the ships visit.

Further, cruise is the only sector that continuously monitors, collects, and reports case information directly to the CDC.

Given this oversight and the uniquely high vaccination rate required on board, the incidence of serious illness is dramatically lower than on land, and hospitalizations have been extraordinarily rare even during a time landside hospitalizations are peaking. CLIA ocean-going cruise line members will continue to be guided by the science and the principle of putting people first, with proven measures that are adapted as conditions warrant to protect the health of cruise passengers, crewmembers, and destinations.

Today is a sea day and my second day onboard Independence of the Seas. We were originally supposed to be at Perfect Day at CocoCay today, but will be there on Thursday instead due to weather conditions.

I woke up early this morning hoping to catch some sun on the pool deck, but unfortunately it was wet and windy! This is the Caribbean, though, so I was hopeful that the weather would improve as the day went on.

For breakfast this morning I decided to go to the Main Dining Room. I had never eaten in the Main Dining Room for breakfast, so I was excited to try it out. I love the ambiance of the Main Dining Room on Voyager and Freedom-class ships. The architecture and decor is elegant and ornate, and it reminds me of a movie set!

The woman at the table next to me was traveling solo and we chatted with each other throughout breakfast. 

This is my first solo cruise and, I have to admit, I was a bit nervous beforehand. Would I be bored? Will I not talk to anyone for days? What will dining be like?

Now that I am on my second day, though, I realize I had nothing to worry about. It is easy to be social when cruising solo, and I’ve found that both passengers and crew are eager to strike up a conversation.

The weather seemed to be improving after breakfast, so I took a walk around the outdoor Promenade deck and Helipad. One of my favorite parts of Independence of the Seas is the huge amount of outdoor deck space. The Promenade deck spans the entire length of the ship and is a calmer area to walk around compared to the pool deck.

I spent a couple hours before lunch editing videos for the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube channel. Lunch today was in the Windjammer. As soon as I sat down, though, I realized the weather outside was beautiful, so I quickly ate and went out to the pool deck.

Ice cream in one hand and camera in the other, I explored the pool deck and Sports Court for a while as I filmed the full ship tour of Independence of the Seas, which will appear on our YouTube channel in a few weeks.

As a Freedom-class ship, the pool deck on Independence is long and has a full kids area including Splashaway Bay, two main pools, and five whirlpools. That’s not even counting the Solarium, which has its own pool and two large whirlpools that stick out over the side of the ship.

While still windy, it turned out to be a gorgeous afternoon, and I was delighted to finally have a sunny day at sea! My previous two sailings were to Alaska in October and a foggy sailing from Los Angeles in November, so I fully appreciated the sunshine today. It’s definitely more comfortable than the snowstorms we had a few weeks ago at home!

After hanging out on the pool deck, I went to Schooner Bar for “Where in the World” trivia. Being a geography nerd, I expected to do better than 10 answers right out of 15, but it was still a fun way to break up the afternoon outside.

Following trivia, I relaxed in my stateroom before heading to the Royal Theater to watch Grease: The Broadway Musical. Independence is my first cruise that offers a Broadway show, so I was looking forward to checking it out as I have heard a lot about the Broadway shows onboard.

Once the show started, though, I was quite confused! While there were a few lines of acting and dance moves here and there, the cast was mostly stationed at the microphones singing a concert. Where was the dancing? The acting? The Broadway aspect of the show? Why was it over after 45 minutes?

Little did I know that, due to unforeseen circumstances, Grease got changed to Grease: In Concert instead of the full-length performance. In the Cruise Planner, the show was listed as Grease: The Musical with a length of 90 minutes, so it must have been a recent change. I also admit that I had not been paying attention to the Entertainment Director at the beginning of the show, so he may have mentioned this to the audience beforehand.

Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed the performance and energy the cast brought to the stage! The performers were super talented and the set designs and costumes were well done. I am hoping that the full Broadway show is being performed when I sail on Harmony of the Seas next week.

Walking up, down, and around the ship all day while filming wore me out, so I had a small dinner at the Windjammer before going back to my stateroom for an early night.

Tomorrow we will be in Nassau, our first port of call. I will be spending the day at a resort on an all-inclusive day pass, and I am excited to share my experience there with you all tomorrow!

Stray observations:

All passengers are following the mask protocols and distancing well. I feel safer onboard than I thought I would. That being said, I am still trying to avoid crowded indoor areas. I also sat far away from most passengers today in the Royal Theater as an extra precaution.

While I didn’t end up seeing the full Broadway show, I love how Royal Caribbean offers Broadway musicals onboard its ships. Sometimes I find the regular shows to lack an easy-to-follow storyline, although the dancing and singing is always great.

After five cruises, my conclusion is that the best food venue Royal Caribbean offers on the pool deck is El Loco Fresh.

Live Blog Index

• Independence of the Seas Live Blog - Day 1 - Embarkation
• Independence of the Seas Live Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day

It looks like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will follow through on its promise to allow the Conditional Sailing Order to expire next week.

At a U.S. Senate Hearing on Tuesday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told Congress the Covid-19 regulations will move from mandatory to voluntary on January 15.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) asked the Dr. Walensky what the cruise industry can expect, citing the enormous lengths they have gone to in order to adhere to Covid-19 protocols.

Senator Murkowski wanted "assurance" that the CDC recognizes the work cruise lines have done to protect passengers, crew members, and the communities their ships visit, is what is necessary to allow the Conditional Sail Order to expire, "I understand the conditional sail order is is set to expire in a few days in recognition that the companies have practices that adhere to or even exceed the guidance in the order."

"I'd like some assurance from you that that they can count on that, that this is clear guidance and messaging to those within the industries and to those who are counting on being able to to have a season this coming summer."

Dr. Walensky confirmed the CSO will not be renewed, "We anticipate that this order will not be renewed and that the cruise ship industries will continue to understand that this is a really safe practice for those industries."

Dr. Walensky pointed out how impressive the cruise lines have been with their dedication to these protocols, "I think the Conditional Sailing Order and the fact that the industry has stepped up and is now interested in doing and exceeding, as you know, the the compliance with the sail order without the order even necessarily needing to be in place, as is a real testimony to how well that has worked and how we've worked collaboratively with the industry."

Senator Murkwoski wanted some insight into the summer, since it greatly affects Alaska cruises.  Dr. Walensky was not ready to make any predictions about what to expect in five to six months from now.

Walensky: "What I can't predict is what the summer will bring."

Murkowski: "I understand that, but for right now, you expect this guidance to stay in place."

Walensky: "That's my anticipation."

The Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) began as the No Sail order in March 2020, when the entire cruise industry shutdown due to Covid-19. 

Since then, the CDC and cruise lines worked together to craft new health protocols that would keep everyone onboard safe from spreading the disease unchecked.

All the cruise lines operating from the United States have since adopted this framework so that they can safely operate during the pandemic.

The CSO was extended on October 25, 2021 with the understanding it would expire on January 15.  Cruise lines had said they intend to follow the CSO regardless of if it's required or not.

Since then, the Omicron variant shot up Covid numbers around the world, including cruise ships. There was concern that Omicron would change the CDC's minds.

Dr. Walensky pointed out the up tick in cases, "just over the last two weeks with Omicron, we've seen a 30 fold increase in cases on ships during this season because of Omicron."

Senator Murkowski pointed out the work cruise lines have put in over the last two years, "in fairness, the industry itself has undertaken extraordinary precautions as one industry, to make sure that people are protected from from this virus."

When the CSO ends on January 15th, it will transition to a voluntary program where the CDC will continue to oversee the industry as it always has in the past.

What does this mean for cruise ships?

The CSO transitioning to a recommendation may or may result in any noticeable changes in the short term.

Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines have already committed to follow the CSO regardless of if it's required or not. Cruise lines first indicated they would follow the CSO following Florida's legal victory against the CDC in summer 2021.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said in July 2021, "We will continue to voluntarily follow all CDC guidelines and recommendations."

Some cruise fans were hoping the end of the CSO would mean a relaxing of certain health protocols, but there's been indication yet that is going to happen.  Certainly not while the Omicron variant is driving up case counts and capturing the attention of the world.

Showing its dedication to assisting crew members, one of the Royal Caribbean cruise ships that was taken out of service will be used to house crew members from other ships that have tested positive for Covid-19.

Serenade of the Seas was one of the ships that had her cruises in January through April cancelled last week. Instead of operating cruises with paying passengers, she will join two other Royal Caribbean ships in a support role.

Almost since the onset of the Omicron variant, Royal Caribbean has done its best to care for crew members that are sick.

Unlike land-based companies that just send their workers home with little to no support, Royal Caribbean has taken the extraordinary step of taking two of its ships out of service to serve as Covid wards, where these crew members can rest and get the care they need in order to be healthy and return to work.

Serenade of the Seas is one of three ships operating in this role, alongside Rhapsody of the Seas and Vision of the Seas.

Assisting crew members across the fleet

A Royal Caribbean crew member, Martina, talked about Serenade's new role in a YouTube video she posted shortly after Serenade of the Seas stopped sailing with passengers.

"In order to relieve the pressures of the amount of Covid cases around the fleet, Serenade will perform a supporting role," Martina explained.

"We will be what they call a quarantine or a hospital ship for Royal Caribbean crew members that are Covid positive."

She said they would accept the non-serious cases among crew members, "They will be embarked on the Serenade of the Seas in order to get better, be well taken care off, be able to recuperate in a healthy and more isolated environment without putting pressure on the other ships still trying to sail."

Why move crew members off the ship? A Royal Caribbean spokesperson recently said the idea is to keep crew healthy crew members away from the sick ones, while simultaneously caring for all of them.

According to Royal Caribbean, transferred crew members, who are all fully vaccinated, are in isolation and are being monitored by an onboard medical team. After each crew member completes their 10-day quarantine, they return to their assigned ships.

Besides helping the crew, having less crew members on operational vessels means a better chance of cruise ships not being denied entry into a port of call due to exceeding the threshold of people onboard with Covid-19.

Martina sees this as an opportunity, and not bad news, "I don't see it as bad news. I see it as a role that I'm proud that the Serenade can take, because as you can see, it doesn't mean that cruises are stopping, not at all. We're just using our resources, I think, in a smarter way."

Why was Serenade picked to help?

Martina thinks perhaps the reason Serenade of the Seas had her cruises cancelled is because the timing works well for an upcoming refurbishment.

Serenade of the Seas is scheduled in a few months to take a break from cruises in order to undergo a multi-week refurbishment.  These refurbishments typically occur once every few years, and is a front to back maintenance visit to a shipyard.

Martina speculates that since Serenade had to leave the fleet anyway, taking her out of service a little earlier made more sense, "Since this date was coming up so soon and we were anyways just eight cruises away to stopping operations regardless for the dry dock, we're just pausing before."

Martina also points out that since Serenade started up in Alaska last summer, a lot of crew member contracts were about to expire around this time.